A ﻿Santa Cruz County Superior Court judge, prosecutor and public defender will talk to Santa Cruz Neighbors on Tuesday about the court system.

Leaders at the meeting will discuss how residents can follow criminal cases, sentencing guidelines and other facets of the court.

Admission is free. The meeting takes place 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the Santa Cruz Police Department Community Room, 155 Center St.

SAN JOSE

Judge to hear motions for new Nazi salute trial

A federal judge is expected to hear motions Friday on a request for a new trial by a Santa Cruz man arrested and ejected from a Santa Cruz City Council meeting for making a Nazi salute.

In November, a jury found in favor of two former council members who sought the removal of Robert Norse for disrupting a meeting by making the mock gesture. Norse objected to then-Mayor Christopher Krohn's decision to keep a woman from speaking because the time for public comment had expired. After Councilman Tim Fitzmaurice objected to the gesture, Norse refused to leave and was arrested but never charged.

Norse's lawyers argued the move reflected a pattern by city officials to squash dissent.

U.S. District Court Judge Ronald M. Whyte﻿ will hear motions at 9 a.m. Friday in his courtroom, No. 6, the fourth floor of 280 S. First St., San Jose.

SANTA CRUZ

Former defense engineer to discuss nonviolence

Former defense engineer Russ Faure-Brac, the author of "Transition to Peace: A Defense Engineer's Search for an Alternate to War," will lead the discussion Why Peace Is Possible at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at the Resource Center for Nonviolence, 612 Ocean St.

Faure-Brac has a master's in engineering economic systems from Stanford University and previously worked as a weapon systems analyst at Stanford Research Institute. He hosts a radio show about peace on KWMR-FM and blogs on his website.

Hosted by the Santa Cruz Mountains Winegrowers Association, this is the first downtown wine festival in more than 10 years. Local wineries, artists, entertainment and artisan food vendors will set up shop between Locust Street and Walnut Avenue.

Admission is $8 per person. Ticket price includes entry and a commemorative wine glass. Tasting tickets will be $1 each and a taste is between two to five tickets per varietal. Tickets are available online at http://scmvintnersfestival.eventbrite.com.